OFW nabbed in Riyadh for trafficking helpers

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was recently arrested for alleged human trafficking in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Police nabbed the unidentified Filipino after he was accused of illegally employing two domestic helpers who previously escaped from their employers, police spokesperson Fawaz Al-Maiman told local news site Arab News.

He confessed to helping both of them escape from their employers’ homes and hiring them in his company. The Filipino is currently detained at a local police station while the rescued maids are under the care of the country’s Ministry of Labor and Social Development.

His arrest came following cases of fugitive maids, including Filipinos, who have been reported missing over the past few months.

After President Duterte’s state visit to Saudi Arabia last month, concerned Philippine authorities are eyeing to repatriate illegal OFWs stranded in the Middle East. According to the Department of Labor and Employment, 19,201 Filipino workers, mostly from Saudi Arabia, have been sent home and given monetary and livelihood assistance.  Gianna Francesca Catolico /ra/rga

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